Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1887-09-18
FRASCENA BAD WAY.

II is pretty nearly time for the period
zeal revolution in France to begin. And
from a glance at the state Of that mercurial
nation il would seem to be not far off, 1t
NAV be pyecipitated at any time by some
apparently insignificant event The ma
ton has been on a strain for sixteen years.
4 new war with Germany for the recovery
Of the lost provinces and the recovery OF
frances old commanding position IN Eu-
rope is the task it set before itself after
the awful defeat OF 1870, and it has worked
I'D to this object with the national spirit
in painful tension and every agent OF
strength taxed to the utmost. Indeed,
the resources of the country have been
ovs,taxed. a. the excessive burdens on the
Deopls and the large annual deficits IN the
revenues loC the past ten years clearly
show. The P1enCh national debt Is the
LARGEST in the world-aud not one dollar OF
it is being paid. So far fro@ this, an adj
dition of $40, 900, 900 to S4O,000,00O IS
made to it every year. OF course this
state of things cannot 90 on much longer.
What with the vain and active hostility 10
the Germans, and the dissatisfaction at the
extravagauce of the republic, the public
mind is in q FESTIVE and threatening
condition. The people say that France
has changed under the republic, and not
for the better. 1t has lost the friendship
of Italy aud had diSagreements with Eng
land, and failed to secure an alliance
with Russia. II has permitted Egypt to
fall into the hands of RGElsnd; and after
building up an enormous military estaO-
lishment at an oppressive cost, ttinds Itself
alone in Europe, without the friendly sup
port of one of the powers which, prior 70
1870. esteemed it favor and privilege to
DE its ally. The French people feel humi-
lated, and the fact that they themselves
are to blame for it does not make them any
the less impatient in bearing 1t. The pub
lie mind Is growing continually more 81
asperated with the situation Of things In
the country aud outside it-snd it is the
possible outbreak which this evaporation
portends that has provoked the present
manifesto OF the Count of Paris. The
manifesto sounds like call to arms. If
the people, or any portion Of them attempt
to change the form of government the
movement will not, cannot, be a peaceful
one. II will surely plungs the country
into a desperate aud bloody civil war. The
Connt OF Paris sees this clearly. Expert
enee," he says, gives small ground to
nope Ess peaceful transition. History
furnishes too many reasons by which to
forsee one Of theIe violent crises which
seem Of periodical Character in the life OF
the nation
il the French Republic were as safely
founded as is friends could wish these
manifestOcs from tSs MOuarchists and
Imperialists would not appear. But the
Republic is in anything but q sound son
dition. The ROUYIER ministry wants to
get out of Office as fast as it can. and it
will not be long till another is added 70
the long list recent ministerial changes in
France. That this is so and that the
Mnnarcbists are 80 active indicates a con-
vietion, or at least an apprehension, that
the republic viii soOE have TO fight for its
hfe-that the people are not altogether
satisfied with it, and that when the crisis
comes both the Honarchists and the I'M
perialists will be ready, the first to impose
on France king, the other an emperor.
1t never takes the French long to do
anything, and the probabilities are that
as spectators we will not have q great
while to wait between the acts before the
curtain again rises ga another act of the
great French tragedy.